A Tender Thing
An original play about love and disability inspired by Romeo and Juliet; developed and performed by a mixed ability cast.
In 2019 Rebus Theatre developed a mixed ability ensemble to devise and perform an original play exploring love and disability. A Tender Thing was inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and explored the experience of romantic love through the lens of living with disability.
The cast devised the work under the direction of Heidi Silberman and Ali Clinch. Including elements of dance, physical theatre, scripted work and improvisation, the performance delved into the complex world of dating, love and marriage using the performers’ own experiences and thoughts to create a piece of theatre unlike any other.
The project was funded by ArtsACT and supported by Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres through the generous sponsorship of JWLand. The cast featured Simone Georgia Bartram, Joel Swadling, Lucy Raffaele, Grant McLindon, Louise Ellery, Peter Rosini and Catherine Senior.
‘Rebus Theatre shows us that “love is not love that alteration finds” in the lives of the cast who create theatre informed by their different circumstance and yet as constant in their need to love and be loved in return. For under an hour I sat with a warm smile, charmed by honesty, moved by different personal experience and stirred to laughter by spontaneous and unaffected wit and humour. Love is tender. Love is true. And love is the feeling you will have from seeing a Rebus Theatre show.’ – Peter Wilkins – Canberra Critics Circle review